Follow You
by Lightning Struck
Summary: When Neji is poisoned on a mission, he must follow Sakura around or else he will die. Things start to get complicated when feelings get involved, and they strugle to figure out if what they feel is real. And what kind of missions is Sakura accepting?
1. Chapter 1

Sakura hummed to herself, glancing at the clock and smiling. It was 5:55PM, in five minutes she could leave the hospital, and maybe have dinner with Naruto. Or if she felt like eating something other than ramen she could go visit her parents. She hadn't seen them in a few months, and would no doubt be getting a summons from them soon.

Sakura frowned, something was wrong. She couldn't help but shiver as she sent her chakra out to examine for any threats. Normally she only got this feeling when battle was about to break out, and she knew that something big was about to happen. Sakura thought wistfully of her bed, and how nice it would have been to stay in it and sleep all day, avoiding her uneasiness.

Suddenly there was a commotion in the emergency room, and she could hear Naruto screaming for her.

"SAKURA!!! SAKURA WHERE ARE YOU?!?! NEJI IS INJURED!!" She could finally make out what he was saying as she reached the entrance to the room. And there on a stretcher was Neji, bleeding from multiple lacerations and still conscious though barely. She could tell he was fading fast.

"NEJI!" she screamed and rushed to him, forgetting that her shift was almost over as she rushed past Naruto. "I need the hokage, now! Neji has taken hits from chidori, and he has some internal bleeding. I need him in surgery, like yesterday! Move!" Abruptly everyone was in motion, nurses rushing to take care of the new arrivals. "Naruto, I need you to go to get the hokage I need her help with the surgery. MOVE!" and then he was gone, leaves floating to the ground where he had been.

"Sakura?" the whisper brought her attention back to the injured man. She hadn't truly spoken to him for years but still she hoped that he would be alright.

"Neji? Stay with me neji, can you hear me?" he closed his eyes forcing her to lean in to hear what he whispered next.

"Sakura…" With that said, he passed out.

"_Where am I?" Neji reached for a kunai, only to find he was weaponless. Looking around he saw he was in a room full of mirrors. No not mirrors, for they didn't reflect him, but rather were those memories of his life? There was a memory of his father training him, laughing with him when they were alone. Sneaking him off the compound to get him ice cream for a job well done._

_In the next mirror he could see himself crying, he had just been told of his father's death. Then there were no more smiles, and he saw only his blank face training and training. He saw his days in the academy, then on his gennin team, with Tenten, Lee and Gai. He saw the chunnin exams, and his fight with Naruto. Afterwards the letter from his father._

_Then the mission retrieving Sasuke, his time in the hospital and finally the fateful mission with Naruto, Shino and Shikamaru in sound. Then he saw Sakura's face in the hospital, and all else faded to black but her face, worried for him. She was beautiful he realized, taking his first good look at her since the chunnin exams all those years ago. She was no longer the awkward little girl she had been but a mature 17 year old. An experienced ninja. He realized that he must be unconscious from his injury from Sasuke. Damn chidori, he had caught them by surprise. It was suppose to be a recon mission only. It had been pure chance that they had been caught. _

"_Is this my life rushing before my eyes because I am dying?" He wondered. Unexpectedly the mirror room was filled with green chakra that warmed him at the same time as it pulled on him. _

"_Neji its time to come back to us. You are needed here. Come back. Please." What was Sakura's voice doing in my head? Then everything went black and the next thing he knew was…_

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Beep…beep…beep…

'Heart monitor' Neji thought sleepily. Slowly he opened his eyes, and saw that it must be afternoon. He thought he was alone and sighed; it would have been nice to wake up with someone there to tell him how long he had been out.

He looked down and realized his first assumption was wrong, he wasn't alone. There was a girl resting her head on her arms on his bed. A girl with pink hair. Sakura? What was she doing here? 'She must be my physician. It's quite unprofessional to fall asleep on a patient's bed' he thought frowning.

"Sakura wake up. Now. Please." He figured he should be polite so she would tell him what time and day it was.

"Neji?" she whispered sleepily, her hair tangled and mussed, he figured she must have been there for a while. When she saw his questioning look she went on. "How are you feeling? You took a lot of damage to your internal organs from Sasuke's chidori. It was pretty touch and go for a while but I finally stabilized you around 10, approximately four hours after being rushed into surgery. You have been unconscious for 5 days."

"You stabilized me?" He blinked; he would have thought that his injury was much too severe for anyone but the Hokage and maybe Shizune to heal. And five days? His uncle would not be pleased.

"Yes, you see….welllll… your chakra was still hostile and wouldn't allow anyone to heal you but me. It seems that you were poisoned so that your chakra would react violently with chakra it didn't recognize. Hinata even tried but her chakra was rejected as well." Neji frowned, he had never heard of this before.

"Then how did you heal me, if I couldn't even accept Hinata-sama's chakra?" he longed to put his head in his hands and grimace at the pain building in his head, but unfortunately years of Hyuuga training prohibited this.

"We aren't sure. But your chakra just stopped reacting when I tried to heal you. Only me though. Neji…there are certain…complications." She paused knowing he wasn't going to like this at all.

"Complications?" Neji narrowed his eyes, his full attention on Sakura for the first time since he woke up.

"We don't know how to neutralize the poison yet. This means that I will have to continually heal you, and I'm the only one who your chakra will accept. The thing is we aren't sure how often I will have to heal you; it could be every few hours or every few days or even weeks. And it could vary. The thing is Neji, the healing that I am forced to do is very…invasive to your mental state." Sakura had not once looked away from his eyes and he found that unnerving. He knew that he was glaring at her, a glare that made even Lee and Tenten falter when they saw it. He searched her eyes, and found only sympathy, none of the fear he expected.

"And if I refuse to let you invade my mind then what?"

"You die."

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**Authors Note: Hey! This is my first fanfiction, so be nice! I probs spelled things wrong, and if I did feel free to correct me. This story kinda just happened so if its not good tell me and I will pull it. Dont be to harsh though! Oh and I don't own Naruto.**

**Morgan**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"You die." Two simple little words, delivered in her soft steady voice. He almost didn't believe her, convinced that this was a prank that Naruto had gotten her to play. But she was meeting his eyes and he could see that this was no joke. Just perfect.

"When is an antidote going to be found?" Sakura was unsurprised to see that aside from the widening of his eyes he had barely any reaction to being told that he could die. He was of course a Hyuuga, and she had never met anyone from his clan besides Hinata who would show emotion freely.

"The Hokage and Shizune are working on it, but they can't devote their full time to it, what with running the village and hospital. Its kind of open ended…" Sakura trailed off, realizing some of the consequences of the poison in Neji's system. "Neji, we are gonna have to…well…live together."

"Excuse me? My clan would never allow it." Neji was seething in his head. His confused emotions and his frustration at being injured solidified into anger instantly. He was angry at Sasuke and the sound nins for cathing them unawares, angry at himself for getting injured and poisoned, angry at the medics for not having an antidote, but most of all he was angry at Sakura and the position she was putting him in. "I am a branch member, it is forbidden to live off of the grounds. And it is even more frowned upon to live with a young woman to whom you are not engaged. Do you want your reputation to be ruined woman? Or are you that desperate for male attention?" Neji knew he wasn't being fair, but at this point he didn't exactly care.

Her reaction though was not what he expected. She didn't fly off the handle as he thought she would but looked at him coldly, holding herself proudly.

"Neji, you **will **move into my apartment. You **will** spent your time with me, and you **will** go on missions with me. You **will** be considerate to my feelings, and my lifestyle just as **I** will respect the way you live your life. Do not forget that I hold your life in my hands, and I also hold the capacity to enter your mind and view your life if you do not follow these rules. This is not a threat, this is a promise that I will look into your mind and then tell Naruto all your deepest darkest secrets so he can shout them across the village. If you do as I say, then I will make this as painless as possible. Am I understood?"

Neji was shocked at her speech, he never would have thought that Sakura had it in her to give orders like that or to control her emotions and anger. Not that he would ever tell her this, but he was impressed with how she handled his needling. And slightly put off by the reality of her threat.

"Fine, but you are talking to Hiashi-sama. Now when can I get out of this hospital?"

"Fine." Sakura matched the same tone I had responded to her demands with. "Your wounds are mostly healed you just have to take care for the rest of the day. I took the liberty of asking Hinata chan to get some clothes for you. After you change after we inform the hospital staff we will report immediately to the Hokage . I'll be just outside the door if you need me." With that Sakura swept out of the room leaving a neat bundle of clothes behind.

When Neji finished changing Sakura and him left the hospital and started walking slowly to the Hokage's office. Unfortunately because of Neji's half healed injuries they couldn't travel over the roofs as they normally would have and had to stay on the ground.

With each step he took, Neji could feel his headache intensifying. Not being one to complain, he kept walking silently trying to ignore it. He didn't realize that Sakura was monitoring his chakra. Looking him over, she could tell he was in pain, and frowned that he wasn't telling her that the poison was acting up.

She reached out to take his hand and both were stunned by his reaction. The second that she touched him, his headache went away, and he could feel his chakra soaring, no longer totally depleted. Not only that, but he felt a tingling where she touched him, and to his horror he couldn't help but shiver at the feeling.

He reared out of her grasped dismayed by his obvious reaction to her. Unfortunately for him the second that her hand was removed he staggered his headache back ten times worse. Again Sakura reached out to him, and this time he didn't pull away but to her surprise, wrapped an arm around her shoulder while she wrapped hers around his waist.

Leaning down he whispered in her ear "What are you doing to me woman? All my pain disappears when you touch me." He was confused and once again angry. He knew that they must look like lovers taking a walk through the streets and that rumors were sure to be flying. But for the life of him, he couldn't manage to pull away from the feeling of her skin on his.

"I think it's your chakra reacting to mine Neji. Are you tingling where I touch you?" To her surprise Nejis face tinted red, he was _blushing _she realized. Inner Sakura proceeded to break into hysterical laughter that the ANBU captain, resident heart throb and icicle that was Neji Hyuuga was blushing. Because of _her._

She was broken out of her musings when the shadow of the Hokage tower fell on them.

"SAKURA-CHAN!" Neji and Sakura both groaned, knowing that Naruto was going to make a big deal about seeing them with their arms around each other. The number of people who, by nightfall, were not going to have heard rumors aobut them was dwindling fast. She loved her idiot team mate, but now was not the time for his screaming and tactlessness. He had a way of taking potentially bad situations and making them ten times worse.

"Ermmm…Naruto we need to meet with the Hokage, it's really important! Bye!" With that said, Sakura tried to make a run for it, forcing Neji to speed up or lose the pleasure of having her skin on his.

"SAKURA! WHY IS NEJI HOLDING YOU?? SAKURA?!?!" Ignoring the blonde knucklehead's screams they rushed into Tsunade's office, slamming the door behind them.

"Naruto! WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT RUNNING INTO MY OFFICE UNANOUN-Oh hello Sakura" Tsunade's demeanor changed from angry to pleasant in a second flat, making Neji sweat drop. Apparently Sakura was use to this and didn't even bat an eyelash.

"Shishou I've come to report on Neji's healing progress, and I'm afraid its as you feared. The poison has remained in his system and only responds positively to my chakra. Whats more is that it seems the farther away I am from him the quicker it acts up. When I am close to him, his chakra responds by increasing and stabilizing. It also ah…how do I put this delicately, my touching him seems to sooth his chakra. It reacts strongly to my presence..." If either of the females in the room had bothered to look at Neji they would have been shocked to see the blush on his face. Even with all the training he had had to control his emotions it only took was one touch from _Sakura_ of all people to make him tingly. Like…like a girl around her first crush. _Pathetic. _

"So as a medic what would you recommend until an antidote can be found?" Tsunade asked Sakura thoughtfully. Inside she was smirking, enjoying the fact that her prized student was getting under the Hyuugas skin without even trying.

"He must stay at my side at all times Shishou. I would be dangerous for him if he has an attack and I am not there to heal it. He will have to move into my apartment immediately. I have a spare room that will be suitable. And it has to be my apartment because there is no way that I am moving into the Hyuuga estate. I have no need to be demeaned for being a women, and also its too far from the hospital." At this Neji gasped, shocked that she would talk about his family with so little respect. Sakura continued though, regardless. "Also, I think it would be best for Neji and I if missions were suspended for us, until we can get this fixed."

At this he couldn't help but protest. "Hokage-sama this is ridiculous. You are not going to seriously ask me to give up my duty to my clan so I can go live with her!" he was furious, jabbing a finger in Sakura's direction and glaring. "Also suspending my missions would be preposturous. I am an important asset to the ANBU assassination squad, and an ANBU captain. You cannot do this."

"Excuse me little Hyuuga, but are you telling me how to run this village?" hearing the anger in Tsunade's voice, he controlled his rage and jerked his head in a negative. "Good, I didn't think so. Sakura, all that you stated sounds good. I approve, but there is one thing." Upon seeing the mischievous glint in her masters eye, Sakura winced. Whatever she was about to say, Sakura knew she wasn't going to like it. "You two must sleep together in the same room. What if Neji had an attack in the middle of the night and you couldn't get to him in time? As he said he is too valuable to the village and ANBU to risk." Seeing both teens open their mouths in protest, she held up her hands. "I don't want to hear any disagreements. Consider this an order. Neji you will spend all your time with Sakura, whether she be at the hospital, or out with your friends. Oh I almost forgot. Here, when I realized the possible effects of the poison I made these for you."

She picked up two packages from behind the desk, handing one to each of them. Sakura opened hers to find a beautiful necklace of crystal. Looking over she saw Neji had a similar necklace, though the chain of his was much less delicate. They looped and swirled in dizzying designs, making it impossible to look at them for long. They were clouded, and made Sakura feel that they hid secrets in their depths. Her musing was interupted by her sensei's voice.

"Place your hands on each others necklace and push some of your chakra into the crystals when I tell you too." Tsunade instructed, "Now Sakura focus on memories you have of Neji, and Neji you think about Sakura. You all set?" Seeing their affirmative nods she said "Begin."

They were shocked to see that the crystals started glowing, shimmering and sparking. Neji's shimmered green as Sakura filled the crystal to the brim, while her own glowed, pulsing from dark blue to almost a pale lavender, to almost the exact shade of his eyes.

They were warm to the touch but not unpleasantly so. Then with a flare of light they crystals dimmed. And went out. Neji recognized the ritual that Tsunade had just put them through, though he hid his reaction from Sakura. From the little he could remember he was getting an uneasy feeling about the necklaces. If the ritual was what he thoguht, the ramifications would be immense!

When Sakura pulled her necklace away from Nejis hand, she could see his chakra lurking in the depths.

"What was that?" She breathed out awed. To her surprise it was Neji who answered her.

"It was a chakra signal ritual. It is a rarely used method of keeping in touch with someone. All one has to do is push a little chakra into the crystal and it will get the others attention. It was thought that some pairs could even send thoughts, feelings, images and such. All this is undetectable to anyone but the two owners of the stones. I thought the practice had died out." Sakura frowned slightly, she had never heard of this in all her studies, so how did Neji know about it?

"I had wondered if you had heard of it. Quite useful isn't it? And surprising to see that the terms for it were met with you Neji. I'm assuming you know who the last to person that met the terms was?" The Hokage was curious, and frankly it pissed Neji off to no end. It was none of her business what he knew or how he knew it!

"Yes. Perhaps you should tell Sakura the ramification of this ritual instead of asking questions that are clan business. I do not know wall the consequences that will result." Tsunade frowned, but decided to let go the tone he had spoken to her with, seeing that in reality she had been prying.

"Very well. Sakura this ritual is rarely used, for several conditions must be met for it to work. I doubt Neji even knows all of them, despite the fact that it is a Hyuuga tradition. As you know from being one of the main medics for the Hyuuga clan, they have a very distinct chakra. Although this is not a widely known fact their chakra has the ability to bond to one other persons chakra. It is hard to explain…it is like their chakra can find its soulmate." As she said this she chuckled at the expression on Sakura's face and at the way the blood drained from Neji's face. So the arrogant little Hyuuga truely hadn't puzzled the ritual through. Interesting. 'I think I will hold off about telling them anything more' Tsunade thought wickedly.

"For now just know that you will be able to sense Neji where ever he is, and if he needs you he can just push a little chakra into his necklace that has your chakra in it. This should altert you. Sakura go with Neji immediately to collect his things from the Hyuuga estate. I prepared a letter, just give this to Hiashi. He will allow it. Oh and one more thing, I don't want you to tell people what happened. Neji is a prominent member of ANBU and it would look bad for him to be out of commission. Now, shoo children. I have a bottle of sake with my name on it."

"But Shishou, how are we suppose to cover up the fact that he isn't taking any missions?!" Sakura was shocked by Tsunade's order. People would think she was dating Neji! She groaned, knowing that the notorious gossips would have a field day with this. Two loud mouth blondes she knew among them.

"How should I know what you should tell people? You're smart Sakura, think of something! Now get OUT!" As soon they left she pulled out a some sake and drank straight from the bottle. She was going to enjoy her student ruffling Neji's feathers.

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**Authors Note: Hey guys! Please read and review, I want to know what you think! If the story is good or if it needs work, or even if you think that i should abandon it. I do hope you like it seeing as its my first fan fic!**

**Morgan**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! So I hope that you like this chapter, it's a little longer then the other two. Please give me reviews and feedback! I am new at this, and I want to know what I can do to improve. Be honest! Even if you dont like the story reviews are appriciated. **

**Also, I might make the story M later, because I beleive that there might be lemons later on in the story. Just so you know...Hope you enjoy!**

**I don't own Naruto, if i did Itachi would be alive and good, and him, Neji and Gaara would be in love with me. **

**Morgan**

* * *

The walk to the Hyuuga compound was uncomfortable to say the least. Neji was mulling over the implications of the ritual Tsunade had performed, as well as what the hell his uncle was going to do now that he had to live with Sakura. He was going to be pissed.

When Neji groaned, Sakura looked at him questioningly, and he spoke to her for the first time since leaving the tower. Although he didn't look at her, Sakura would take it; at least it was better than silence.

"Lee and Naruto are never going to leave me alone now. At least when I was living in the compound they could be kept out, but now they are always going to be pestering me. And it will double because you are forcing me to live with you."

"Hey mister, no one is forcing you to live with me. You want to die be my guest. I'm trying to save your ass, and you not exactly making it easy for me. Besides, Lee doesn't know where I live and Naruto only comes in if I let him. And he knows better than to just burst into my apartment." Sakura smiled remembering. Naruto had wanted her to go with him to help him train a new technique, and had come barreling into her apartment. She had just gotten out of the shower and had been about to towel herself off. Needless to say, Naruto spent a few days in the hospital even with the Kyuubi. She had refused to let anyone heal him.

Reaching the compound, Sakura glanced at Neji uncertain of what to do. Especially seeing the expressionless guards at the entrance. She was surprised to see their curse seals were bare, she had expected all branch members to hide their seals like Neji. Perhaps they were proud of the seals, or at least proud of the fact that they represented a Hyuuga tradition. Neji simply walked up to them and showed them the scroll they had, stating they had been sent by the Hokage to see Hiashi-sama immediately. Using their byakugan they verified the validity of the scroll, so they stepped aside, allowing Sakura and Neji through.

"Neji" Sakura whispered, "What do we do now? I've never been inside the Hyuuga compound before." She marveled at the beauty and grace of the place, the buildings seemed to flow like water. Everything was in tasteful shades of blues and creams, calm, tranquil colors. It was so like the Hyuuga, elegant but quiet.

"Hiashi-sama is being alerted of our presents as I speak, and I will take us to his study where he resides at this time of day. Then we will present him with the scroll, and he will either give me permission to live of the compound, or will not." Taking a step forward Neji led the way through the winding corridor.

After several turns Sakura was hopelessly lost. She realized that the maze like quality must be an advantage to the Hyuugas when entertaining guests. It made the visitors dependant on their Hyuuga guides to get them out of the compound safely. Not to mention it was quite unpleasant for a ninja to not know where they are. It helped give the Hyuuga even more of a home base advantage.

"We are here. Sakura kindly keep your temper in check, and let me do the talking. My uncle doesn't take well to impertinence."

"Impertinence?? Excuse me miste-"Sakura was cut off by Neji's hand against her mouth.

She was even more surprised when he leaned down putting his mouth to her ear he whispered "Hyuuga walls are infamous for being thin, one of the reasons that we are so quiet. No need to embarrass yourself before this is even begun." Sakura shivered, his breath on her ear was making her tingle, and butterflies went crazy in her stomach. Before she could reply Neji had opened the door, allowing himself and Sakura into the room.

They bowed, giving Hiashi the respect his rank accorded him, and waited for him to speak.

"I hear that you have a scroll for me from the Hokage." Neji watched his uncle read the scroll, uncertain on how he would react. Part of him thought that Hiashi would simply state that it was Neji's fault he was in this situation while kicking Sakura out and dooming Neji to death my poison. But he was too valuable to the clan, wasn't he? Surely he would be allowed to live with Sakura until this whole mess was figured out.

"Neji you have permission to gather your belongings immediately after this audience. You were foolish to let yourself fall prey to such poison, but I believe that being denied missions is punishment enough for now. An account will be opened containing the money you have made from completing missions, and it will be placed at your disposal. I trust that you will use it as befits a Hyuuga.

"What troubles me is this ritual that Tsunade writes about. Surely she didn't do what I think she did…" As his uncle trailed off Neji saw that he wanted his opinion, so he spoke up.

"Hiashi-sama, it is indeed that ritual. I request to look at the clan scrolls concerning it, so I may know the side effects of what the Hokage did."

"Request denied. Those are some of the oldest scrolls, not to be paraded out at your whim. Tsunade should have known better then to perform a ritual she does not understand. Especially when the ritual is for the clan head to perform and the clan head alone. And to include someone not of our clan." At this both pairs of Hyuuga eyes closed on her, making her uncomfortable. She was pleased however that outwardly she showed no signs of her discomfort. "It is ridiculous. I will be talking to her about this, I am not pleased. You are dismissed, collect your things quickly Neji. Sakura may help, but otherwise I don't want clan members bothered by your foolishness."

He swept out of the room, leaving Neji and Sakura behind. Rising and walking to the door, Neji looked back, and held his hand out to her to help her up.

"Well are you coming?" As she gripped his hand she felt a tingle run through her. That tingle seemed to happen a lot whenever Neji was around. _It must be that stupid ritual that's so mysterious _Sakura thought grumpily. She conveniently ignored the fact that she had felt it before she had entered the Hokage Tower.

After passing through more twisting corridors, Sakura became aware of a gradual change. While the building was still elegant and beautiful, the floors had more wear and tear here, and the halls were narrower. Not that these hallways were shabby, but they failed to emit the timelessness of the other parts of the building. _This must be the branch area of the compound _Sakura realized.

Finally Neji arrived at a single door and opened it revealing a bedroom beyond. Before she could get a decent look at the room Neji fell stiffly against the door frame, and his breath increased while becoming shallower. Quickly Sakura pushed Neji into what she assumed was his room slamming the door behind them.

Sakura laid Neji on his bed, straddling his hips and placing her hands on his chest so she had better access to his heart and lungs. Running her chakra in a quick scan of his body she realized that the poison was acting up and went to work immediately.

Neji was only aware of the terrible pain wracking his body, while he fought the instinct to scream. Only years of Hyuuga training kept him silent. Then, slowly the pain ebbed, leaving a warm safe feeling in its wake. It reminded him of distant memories of his mother, being held by her before she passed away.

It was only when he felt weight fall on his chest that he opened his eyes, finding that Sakura had collapsed onto his chest. She must have been that feeling of safety; she had healed him removing the poison that had built up in his system. _Maybe it won't be so bad getting healed all the time by her _Neji mused _not if it feels like that. _

Then he blushed, and felt his himself heat up in an instant. She was _straddling _him, and Neji found himself having to fight his body. He would _not _react to Sakura's warm, pliable body above him, molding to his body. He would not think about the fact that she was soft, and that they were alone. In his room. On is _bed. _He simply wasn't going to go there.

Sitting up hastily he pushed Sakura off him and retreated to the corner of the room, regarding her silently.

"Sorry Neji, I didn't mean to fall on you, but I just worked a full hospital shift, and you were about 20 seconds away from cardiac arrest. What were you thinking, waiting that long to tell me that the poison was getting too much?!? If you wait like that it requires much more chakra to heal you, and also requires more time for you to rest until you gain your full strength. It was stupid, and reckless! Something that I would expect from Naruto, or Kiba, never you Hyuuga! Next time you begin to feel the poison you are to tell me immediately. Do you understand?"

Her voice quieted at the end of her tirade, and Neji was embarrassed, because she was right. He had been reckless and stubborn to think that he could wait to tell her. He had forced her to expend extra chakra and had reduced himself to a trembling mass of tightened muscle. Up until that point he had not truly grasped the seriousness of his injury.

"I apologize, next time I will inform you immediately Sakura." Neji hoped that his eyes suitably conveyed his sincerity, shocked that he was actually trying to show emotion to her. Still though, his life was in her hands, and it would be smart of him to make her happy.

"Neji, just because you can walk and train, doesn't mean you aren't grievously injured. Do you understand?" Her eyes softened seeing the emotion in his silvery eyes that was rarely so openly displayed. Knowing that he understood what she meant she stood up and for the first time took a good look at the room around her.

Neji it seemed wasn't into having a lot of things. He had what weapons he had organized and in cases, unsurprisingly in perfect condition. He only had two pictures on his bedside table, one of team Gai when they were gennin. Lee and Gai were giving their usual good guy pose while Neji was standing next to them with his arms folded looking expressionless at the camera. Next to Neji was Tenten looking at him with admiration and affection.

The other picture was one of a man and woman holding a baby in their arms while smiling at the camera. Seeing the similarities between the two Hyuugas in the picture and the boy in his room, Sakura guessed that it was a family picture. The baby must be Neji. Crossing the room, Sakura opened his closet and started picking up clothes, folding them into neat stacks.

"I'll get your training shirts and pants organized, as well as a traditional outfit or two. Though, if we have to attend anything that isn't a Hyuuga function I am definitely gonna get you into a suit. Hmmm you can get your toiletries, and umm your boxers and stuff while I do this." Sakura blushed when she mentioned his boxers, and Neji couldn't help but smirk. Apparently from the way Sakura was avoiding his eye she was embarrass, and Neji couldn't help but find it endearing. He knew that as a kunochi she was far from innocent, but standing there folding his shirts and blushing she looked no different than a normal girl their age.

Well her age, seeing as he was 18, and a year older then her. Nodding his head he left the room to collect his toiletries from the bathroom at the end of the hall. He shared it with several other branch members of the clan. He smiled faintly when he realized he would only have to share a bathroom with one person now, instead of ten or so.

Getting what he needed he went back to his room to find that Sakura was mostly done with his closet and had put all of his belongings into a storage pack. He was surprised that she knew how to work the chakra seal that allowed her to fit much more into the pack then was normal. It seemed Sakura was continually surprising him, and he was unsure if that was a good thing or not.

Emptying his underwear drawer into the pack while ignoring Sakura's blush he glanced around the room until his eyes landed on the two pictures. He picked them up and put the one of his team in first before gently putting the one of his family on top of it.

"Ready to go?" and seeing him nod and shoulder the pack, they left. He led them through the twisting corridors, ignoring the looks that were thrown his way. He sighed when they left the compound, relaxing his shoulders slightly.

"You don't like being on the compound much do you? Is that why you take so many missions?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Why do you say that?" Neji was surprised that she had come to that conclusion, no one had ever asked him that question, and he had never thought about it before.

"When you left the grounds your pulse steadied and your muscles relaxed a bit, indicating that you were uncomfortable and slightly anxious before and that you are less so now."

"Aren't my eyes supposed to be the ones that see everything little tiger? Not yours." He smirked again seeing her blush at the nick name that had flowed out of his mouth before he was even aware that he had given her one. Little tiger, he liked that. It suited her, and seeing the blush that still adorned her cheeks he decided that living with Sakura might not be as bad as he had originally thought.

"Little tiger?" She asked, diverted from her original line of questioning.

"It suits you, does it not? Deceptively small and cute, but with teeth and claws ready at a moment's notice." Neji was quite pleased that he had managed to make her blush scarlet a second time. He was wary when she smiled at him, mischief in her eyes.

"So you think I'm cute, lion? I think I will call you that Hyuuga." And it was her turn to smirk as a faint blush appeared on Neji's face. His pride and strength made him very much like a lion in her opinion.

While they had been bantering her feet had taken her to her apartment without her knowing. She unlocked the door, taking her shoes off and stepping away so Neji could enter her home as well. She was hyperaware that her apartment didn't hold the timeless charm and elegance that the Hyuuga household had had.

Looking around, Neji decided her place felt lived in, even though it was meticulously clean. There were bookshelves along the walls, and it seemed her door opened up into her living room. There was a comfortable looking couch in the corner, and across from it was a TV. with a collection of movies next to it.

"So ahh…yeah…this is my apartment, this is the living room. Should I give you a tour?" Seeing him simply staring at her was making her nervous, so she continued "Okay, I guess that's a yes. I don't usually have people over by themselves, if they do come over its usually in groups. Okay, so this is the kitchen, here is the guest bedroom, and here is the guest bathroom. Over here is my room." And with that she opened the door and led him inside.

Sakura's room was not what Neji expected. He would have thought that her room would be full of stuffed animals and covered in pastel colors. Instead they walls were painted black with a swirling silver design. Her curtains were black as well, and her bed spread was a petal rose color. She had good taste, and Neji was thankful for it. Suddenly she left only to quickly return with a futon which she set up by the foot of the bed.

"Neji, you can have the bed, I'll take the futon. The sheets are clean, so you don't have to worry" Sakura said smiling.

"Nonsense, I'll take the futon. It is your bed." Neji replied.

"You're my guest! I couldn't possibly have you sleep there. It's fine Neji."

"No, I refuse to inconvenience you. Sakura, take your bed." Neji rolled his eyes as she argued with him. He didn't see what the big deal was.

"You aren't inconv-you're not going to let this go are you?" She sighed, and seeing him shake his head she flopped down on the bed. As Neji started to unpack his things, Sakura finally got the courage to ask what had been bothering her since they saw the Tsunade.

"How are we going to explain why we are suddenly around each other all the time?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey! Okay, so I changed the rating to M just to be safe. There isnt a lemon is this chapter, and probly wont be for a few more becasue I have to build up the story to that point. I was up late writing this when i should be sleeping, so I hope you enjoy!! please review!!! Tell me what you think, and what I can improve. :)**

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"How are we going to explain why we are suddenly around each other all the time?" Sakura bit her lip, unsure of what their cover should be. "We can't tell them the truth because then they would know that you are injured. And how do we explain the matching necklaces, and the way you are going to be with me all the time?"

"Do we need to give an explanation?" Neji was starting to ache and his muscles were beginning to cramp. Although not at all high on his pain scale, it was very uncomfortable.

"Of course we need an explanation!! Unlike you, I'm not known for being silent and mysterious! Everyone will leave you alone but they will annoy me to death. This is so unfair. The only cover I can think of is…well…" Neji frowned, seeing Sakura blush scarlet. He knew that whatever her idea was, he wasn't going to like it.

"Continue."

"We could say that, well…we are dating. It would be the perfect cover. It would explain why we are living together, and sharing a room. It would also give a reason for you pulling me aside to heal you when you need it. Everyone will think that…uh..." And just her other blush began to recede a new one appeared, even more vibrant than the first one.

"That we would be leaving for a quickie." Neji stated flatly. Strategically he knew that this would be the best plan of action, but still he didn't like it. It felt wrong somehow, that people would misconstrue his intentions like that. To think that he would sleep with a girl he didn't intend to marry.

"Look, I know you don't like me but I don't see any other options ok? I mean, if you can come up with a different plan then be my guest. What do you say?" The way Sakura was looking at the ground and biting her lip meant that she was a little afraid and very nervous.

Then it hit him. She thought he was going to reject her. Like that traitor Sasuke. This beautiful, dangerous kunoichi who could kill a man with her little finger was afraid of rejection. He blinked and realized that while he had been analyzing her, her shoulders had slumped in defeat. As she opened her mouth to talk he finally spoke.

"Okay, we can pretend that we are in a relationship. On several conditions. One, it must seem as if I am serious about you. As if we intend to marry someday. Hyuuga do not simply live with their girlfriends, unless they are serious."

Sakura interrupted saying "Hyuuga don't have girlfriends, they skip right to having wives." When he saw she wasn't going to interrupt again, he went on.

"Second, you have to teach me medical techniques." Neji tilted his head at her shocked expression, smirking. "Did I surprise you tiger?" As he said this he leaned in, letting his breath caress her ear. Neji was satisfied with the resulting blush, it seemed this mission definitely wasn't going to be as bad as he originally thought. Sakura fascinated him, and she was a puzzle that he would enjoy figuring out.

His train of thought was broken when his back shuddered, making him wince. Sakura immediately started examining him with her chakra.

"Neji lie down on the bed." Seeing his look and remembering the argument from earlier she rolled her eyes. "Relax you can move and I'll take the bed when I am done examining you. Also, please remove your shirt."

Looking at Sakura sharply, he concluded that she was in medic mode, and her request had been so she could examine him fully. Neji complied and couldn't help but sigh as he felt that jolt of electricity flow through him when her hands connected with his chest.

"You overworked you self today. Lactic acid is building up in your muscles, and your muscles are tightening and cramping. There are two options for treatment. One, I use my chakra to heal your muscles, exhausting me and making it dangerous for you if you have an attack from the poison tonight. The second option is that I sooth your muscles by giving you a massage. Your choice." Neji gulped. A _massage??_ Well there was a first for everything.

"I pick the second choice." As a Hyuuga he generally wasn't a fan of lying to himself, but in this case Neji made an exception. He simply couldn't have her chakra depleted, he reasoned, it had nothing to do with the fact that her touch made his stomach twist in unexpected and mysterious knots. It definitely had nothing to do with that.

"I need you to remove your pants Neji, and lie down on your stomach. I'm going to start on your back first. Have you ever had a massage before?" Seeing him shake his head she smiled. "I think that you are going to like it. Most shinobi enjoy massages as they relax their muscles and soothe their minds."

Then she was straddling him _again._ When Sakura felt his muscles tense up even more she leaned down and whispered in his ear "Relax" much as he had done to her earlier. She couldn't believe that she had THE Neji Hyuuga under her, that he was totally under her control. He must trust her, for she couldn't see him allowing himself to be this vulnerable with anyone he wasn't 100% positive wouldn't kill him or hurt him in some way.

She began to rub his shoulders and the back of his neck, smoothing her hands in circles along his jerking muscles. There was years of tension that had built up, and she was determined that when she was done there would be none left. He would be the most relaxed he had ever been.

Neji felt his eyes slide shut as she massaged him. He had never allowed a woman to be this close to him unless he was sent to seduce her to gather information. And even then, he never let them touch him unless it served a purpose. He was disciplined and had never let anyone touch him like this, fearing to give someone that much power over him.

He groaned suddenly as her skilled hands worked out a particularly bad knot. He knew it was undignified and that he would be angry at himself later for showing signs that he was enjoying this, but at the moment he couldn't care less. As long as she didn't stop. When had Sakura gotten so good with her hands? He stopped that train of thought before he could think of other things her skilled hands could do. He was definitely not going to go there.

Once she had finished his upper back and neck, she moved to his scalp and started dragging her fingers against the tender skin there. He never let _anyone _touch his hair which was his one vanity. Yet here was a girl he hadn't truly spoken to in years, and she was running her fingers against him. Every time she touched him he felt his skin heat up, and he was almost positive that she had to be using some jutsu to make him feel this way. Only if she was, he would have sensed it.

Neji let go and simply let her do what she wanted, it felt too good for him to care. He was definitely going to tell her if his muscles were ever in pain again. He started slightly when she whispered in his ear.

"Do you like the massage? How are you feeling?" he didn't know whether she enjoyed torturing him or not, seeing as her hands stilled while she was speaking. She was a medic; she had to know the effect she was having on his body!

"It feels good." Sakura's breath caught when she heard his voice. It was deeper and huskier then before, and definitely sexier. She was startled, where had that thought come from??

"Good, your muscles are relaxed. You should seriously consider getting massages more often, you had years of tension that had built up. Is the discomfort gone?"

"Yes. The discomfort is gone. Please leave the room while I change into my sleep wear." Neji was definitely not facing her while he was like this. He felt as though his muscles had been replaced with jello, and he didn't want her to see him possibly see how they were trembling.

But mostly, the problem was he had a raging hard on. And that bothered him. Sakura, the powerless weak link in team 7 had given him one of the biggest hard ones of his life.

"Okay, I'm going to get my clothes and change in the bathroom. Call when I can come back in the room." And with that she slipped off him grabbed some clothes and was gone.

By the time he had changed and called her back into the room he had his body controlled, determined that he would not react that way again in front of her. He lay down on the futon and was almost asleep when she groaned.

"What? What's wrong?" He sprang up, scanning the room for an intruder, for anything that would make her react that way.

"No I was just thinking, Tenten is going to kill me. This sucks."

"Why would Tenten kill you? You haven't done anything to her." Sakura looked at him like he was crazy.

"You have to be kidding me. You stupid boy, that girl is head over heels in love with you and has been for years. For a Hyuuga you sure are blind." She made a disgruntled noise and looked at the ceiling. "She is going to think that I stole her man."

"Tenten is not in love with me. She knows better than to go and fall for me, seeing as I consider her a teammate. And I'm not anyone's property. Nor am I blind thank you." Tenten in love with him? It was ridiculous. He simply put up with her because she was better than Lee and Gai, though not by much. "Lee is going to want to fight me even more, seeing as he is going to say that I stole his girl." Neji couldn't help but grimace when he imagined Lee's face when he heard the news that Neji was "dating" Sakura.

"I hadn't even thought about Lee! Ughh, Naruto is sure to challenge you to spar with me as the prize for the winner."

"We never did have a rematch from the chunin exams" Neji mused.

"And you aren't going to, not while you are in this condition. I need to see how often your attacks are, and what triggers them. You can't physically train until I am sure that no lasting damage was inflicted on your body Neji. I need to make sure you are going to totally heal."

"No training? At all?" He was horrified, the last time he had been forbidden from training for extended amounts of time was when he had been stabbed from behind by that sound nin when he tried to bring back Sasuke. Not training was going to be hell.

"We don't have to discuss this right now. I'm going to sleep. Talk to you in the morning." She closed her eyes and turned her back in his direction.

"Fine."

"Goodnight lion!" And with a slight smile she faded into unconsciousness.

"Goodnight little tiger" Neji whispered once he was sure she was in a deep asleep. "Sweet dreams."

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**AUTHORS NOTE: Okay so again I'm begging for reviews! I dont know if its good, or what can be fixed or is confusing until you tell me. Well I'm off to bed, I have school in the morning :(**

**I hope you like it, and stay tuned.**

**Morgan**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Why is there sunlight on my face? My room doesn't have windows that face the rising sun at this angle. _Instantly Neji went from a state of relaxation to complete awareness, springing up gripping a kunai he had under his pillow. Glancing around, he saw on the bed next to him a girl with pink hair…_Sakura? _Abruptly the events of the previous day flooded back to him, making him cringe.

He had to play couple with this pink haired girl and not only that but she held his life in her pretty little hands. Not only did he have act like he was infatuated with her in public, but in private he would have to be pleasant to her as well, or he might as well dig his own grave.

_Still, yesterday wasn't so bad. At least she is not as annoying as the __Yamanaka girl, and she did manage to make things interesting. And her touch…_Neji shivered just remembering what her touch had done to him. He would have to get better control of himself in the future. He could not afford her the knowledge that a simple massage had him practically begging for her touch. No, he was going to have to keep distance between them unless it was absolutely necessary.

Glancing at her clock, he saw that it was a little past 7 in the morning. Apparently they had slept late, though it was no wonder seeing as his body was still healing from his injuries. He guessed Sakura's excuse for sleeping still was that her body had gotten accustomed to late hospital shifts.

Standing up and stretching, he was amused to find that he had gone to sleep as usual without a shirt on. Smirking, he decided to have a little fun waking Sakura up. Making her blush was so satisfying. In fact, not many things lately gave him the pleasure that her tomato red face did.

Neji climbed up onto the bed next to Sakura, and placed a hand on the other side of her, so he was leaning over her. Slowly, he leaned down so his mouth was next to her ear, it wouldn't do for her to wake up and mess up his plan after all.

In a soft voice he whispered to her in a singsong way "Sakura, it's time to get up baby. Come on sweetheart, its after 7." He figured that the nicknames would serve to confuse her more and make her more flustered.

Sakura felt herself being pulled back to consciousness because of a warmth above her and a whispering in her ear. Her eyes shot open, and she blushed a vivid scarlet when she realized Neji was the one to wake her. He was the source of the warmth and the whispers. And he was _shirtless. _

She couldn't help but gaze at his well defined chest and watch as his muscles ripped deliciously as he sat up, allowing her to see his face. He had one of his signature smirks on, but behind it she could sense his genuine amuse meant at the situation. And oh kami his body was gorgeous. Being a medic Sakura had seen plenty perfect specimens of the male body, but seeing them wounded or in a cold impersonal examination room was very different then seeing Neji's hovering above her just as she was waking up. It felt too intimate somehow, the way a lover would wake up their beloved.

But Neji was not her lover, no matter what they would be pretending. And for the first time, Sakura felt slightly disappointed that she didn't know him like that. This was certainly the best way she had woken up in a long time, if not the best wakeup call in her life.

"Baby, I figure we should start acting like we are dating, before we go out. Just so we are believable. Why don't you go take a shower and I'll go make breakfast. Bacon and eggs ok?" Neji stood as he spoke, his smirk staying firmly in place. Although at first he had been dead set against it, he had decided during the night that if he was going to pretend to date her he was going to do the best he could. After all, no one could say he didn't try his hardest at everything he did.

Sakura could only nod her head as he left the room. Her body on autopilot she grabbed what she needed and retreated to the shower making sure to lock the door. Quickly she scrubbed her body and lathered her hair, making sure there wasn't a bit of dirt on her before she stepped out of the shower. She dressed quickly, curious whether Neji could cook or not.

An image of him dressed in the frilly apron her mother use to wear made her giggle as she walked into her kitchen.

"What's the joke?" Neji was slightly disappointed that her flustered look had disappeared and she was laughing. He knew instinctively that he was the cause of her laughter. He was pleased when her flustered look returned when she realized that he was still shirtless. "Your breakfast tiger."

With a flourish he placed a plate full of bacon and scrambled eggs in front of her, sitting next to her to watch her eat. She hesitantly took a bit, and he could tell that she must have had bad experiences with men cooking before, probably because of the blonde idiot that was her teammate.

"This is really good! But where's your breakfast?" Sakura sped up her eating, consuming as much as was possible without being impolite.

"I ate while you were in the shower." He leaned in, smiling as she frozen when he buried his face in her hair. "I do like vanilla." He pulled back, and was mesmerized by her emerald eyes. They were so innocent and childlike, yet he knew that she had seen terrible things and that as a kunoichi she had committed her share of violence. Still, she seemed so pure, and so hurt. He could see in the way she held herself that she was afraid to trust him, afraid to let him get close to her. He felt sorrow that she would fear him this way, that she had been hurt like this.

He brought a hand up to her face, gently tracing her cheekbone with his thumb. He felt the urge to tell her that everything was going to work out, that he wouldn't hurt her like she had been hurt in the past. But it would be ridiculous to tell her any of this, seeing as he was in no position to make any kind of promises of the sort. He felt as though he was being pulled towards her, and where he touched her he could feel his chakra rushing to the surface of his skin to be met with hers. She reached out curious, and touched his necklace.

His eyes widened as he felt the necklace flare up, and saw that hers had as well. It was abruptly all he could do not to lean in and kiss her, to claim her mouth with his own. He did not understand what was happening, but his entire being yelled at him, demanding that he give in. Slowly his resistance crumpled, and his eyes fastened on her lips.

They were slightly parted, and rosy. He had no idea what was happening to him but all his training and emotional control flew out the window. He wanted to drink her in, to dominate her and know her in every way possible, and he wanted to _now._

He leaned in to crash his lips against hers, and then her lips flew towards his. They were drawn together by the necklaces around their necks, by their chakra, by everything that made them who they were.

The kiss was rough, demanding, and as they moved their lips against each other's they felt sparks ignite. The tension that had surrounded them since Neji had awoken to find Sakura in his hospital room exploded.

Sakura gasped when she felt Neji's hands on her waist, felt his heat burning through her shirt as if they were on fire. Neji took advantage of her gasp to push his tongue into her mouth, battling her for dominance. She twined her hands into his hair, pulling and fighting back, refusing to let him control their kiss.

Neji had never felt this way, as though his chakra was lit on fire. It demanded that he bring her closer and he was only too happy to oblige. He moved his hands from her waist to underneath her ass, picking her up and twisting so she was settled in his lap, her legs on either side of him. Sakura purred her approval of this new position draping her hands over his bare shoulders. His mouth left hers and she whined in disapproval, only to moan when he turned his attention to her neck. He massaged her ass much as she had massaged him the night before adding to her moans.

He sucked and nibbled at her throat, marking her as his own. He took his time, trailing downward towards her chest. When he reached the top of her shirt, he looked at her eyes, and smirked, seeing they were glazed and distinctly darker than before. He grasped the zip of her shirt in his teeth and slowly dragged it down, keeping eye contact with her the entire time.

When he had pulled it down enough so that it exposed her breast he pulled back and gazed at her. Although every fiber of his being cried out that he rip the black bra from her chest and mark her there, he hesitated unsure. Flicking his eyes up to hers he saw her nod, and whimper, practically bedding him to continue. He smiled, and brought his mouth to the top of her breast, and then just as he was about to let loose-

"FOREHEAD! WHY DIDN'T YOU ANSWER YOUR FREAKING DOOR- oh." Ino was shocked, at the picture in front of her. There was her friend Sakura, in Neji Hyuuga's lap with his hands on her ass. If this wasn't shocking enough when they turned she saw her friends top unzipped, and what were obviously hickies covering her neck. She hadn't even known that they knew each other, let alone that they were this close.

Smirking, Ino broke the tense silence. "Oh, don't mind me, care on as before, I don't mind."

"INO-PIG!! Get out! Haven't you ever heard of knocking?!?!" Sakura was utterly embarrassed, and shocked by her behavior. The mood totally broken by the blondes surprise entrance. Ino was going to tell the entire village! But wait…wasn't that what they wanted? It would be the perfect excuse to explain why he would always be around her. They could simply say that they didn't have to keep it a secret anymore and that they had been together for months.

Sakura was distracted by Neji gently zipping her top and he whispered to her "We can use this to explain." Sakura nodded as he gently placed her back in front of her half eaten meal while holding her hand.

"I did knock, but apparently you were too _busy_ to notice. Well, well, well, what should I do? Hmm Forehead, how did you manage to bag such a fine man anyway? Did you just put out or what?" And as Sakura blushed crimson and looked away, Neji discovered that he only enjoyed Sakura's blushes when he caused them. Not when her friend basically called her a slut.

"I kindly ask you not to call my girlfriend a slut Ino-san. She did not 'put out' to catch my attention as you so crudely put it. Rather I pursued her, and we have been dating for several months now. Please step into the other room so we may make ourselves presentable." Ino was stunned by his icy tone and the protectiveness she could clearly see radiating from the Hyuuga prodigy. She turned on her heal and left the kitchen to wait in Sakura's living room. Her pink haired friend had a lot of explaining to do.

As soon as the blonde left the room, Neji whispered fiercely to Sakura "Wait a moment while I get a shirt, then let me do the explaining." He noticed that as soon as the moment had been broken his necklace had faded, and the light in it had died out. He had no idea how that had happened, and as he rushed upstairs to grab a shirt, he pondered what would have occurred had the blonde not interrupted. Would he have bedded Sakura, there in her kitchen? What would she have done if he tried? Would she have let him?

Using his speed he was back with Sakura in no time and grabbed her hand as he walked with her into the other room. Fixing Ino with one of his patented stares, he asked "Okay, what do you want to know?"

"How long has this been going on? Why did you keep it a secret? Who knows?" Neji cut Ino off, deciding that that would be enough questions for him to answer for now.

"Four months, and six days." He stated the last time he had had a check up, if anyone would check it would be believable. "We could not tell anyone before I got permission from Hiashi-sama. Only Hiashi-sama and the Hokage know. And now you do. Last night we were able to get my clans approval, so we were going to tell everyone today. Now, I believe that since I have answered all your questions, you should go. And with that he let go of Sakura's hand to push Ino out the front door, closing it before she could get over her surprise.

He waited until she had stomped off before turning back to Sakura. "Well, that was not how I expected to tell everyone that we are 'dating'. Though perhaps Ino telling everyone will make it more believable when we are seen together. We need to go to inform my team that I will be sitting out today's training because of my injury. Lee and Gai arrive at the training grounds at 6:30, and Tenten arrives at 7. They are no doubt wondering where I am." With that he again opened the door, ushering Sakura through.

Silently then walked through the village to the training grounds, aware of the whispers and glances towards their interlocked hands. Unlike Ino, Sakura was not fond of being in the spotlight, and she was distinctly uncomfortable. Neji feeling her discomfort ram his thumb in slow steady circles across the back of her hand to sooth her, trying to ignore the sparks he felt as he did so.

Finally they reached team Gai's training grounds and before they stepped into plain sight, Neji turned to Sakura.

"Look, this might be uncomfortable, seeing as Lee has decided that you will be his. He will demand to spar with me for you, and if you really insist that I can't fight yet-"

He was interrupted when Sakura said "I do insist."

"Then you might find it necessary to step in and stop him." Seeing her nod Neji added one more thing before stepping into plain sight. "I am going to rely on you to act sufficiently couple-ish, because these are some of the people who know me best." With that said he stepped forward taking Sakura with him.

Immediately Tenten stopped training, and ran to Neji throwing her arms around him. "I was so worried! You are never late to training! Are you all right? Oh, Sakura…what are you doing here?"

"Tenten" Neji said through gritted teeth "Would you kindly remove yourself. I am still recovering from injuries sustained on an ANBU mission and you are not helping. Also, please remove yourself because I would hate to give my girlfriend the wrong impression." Immediately Tenten released Neji, much to his relief.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! Are you alrig- umm Neji I must have heard you wrong. Did you say g-girlfriend?" Sakura looked away. She felt bad for Tenten, seeing that she obviously had it bad for Neji and he was crushing her unknowingly. Or at least she was pretty sure that he didn't know. She hoped. Because then what he was doing to Tenten was downright cruel. No he definitely didn't see that Tenten was in love with him, despite her telling him last night.

"Yes, my girlfriend. Sakura and I have finally been given permission to make our relationship public. Isn't that right Sakura?" When he said her name he looked at her, and allowed his expressionless mask to break to show his love for her. Or rather his 'love'. Sakura was quite impressed with his acting skills.

"Yes, your clan finally accepted me. Perhaps we should tell Lee and Gai, before we go?" Sakura truly did feel sorry for Neji's female teammate, but this was necessary. She only hoped that Tenten would forgive her when this was all over. She tugged Neji over to Lee and Gai, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible.

"Gai-sensei," Neji began "I will be unable to join in on training for an indefinite amount of time because of some minor injuries. I need to get permission from Sakura-chan before I come back. Though, if I keep giving her greetings like this morning I don't think that will happen anytime soon." To Sakura's dismay she felt her face heat up, and it turned red further when he put his arm around her waist, slipping his thumb under the edge of her shirt and stroking her hip. She knew that the ninja around them couldn't help but see what he did.

"Get your hands off my Sakura-chan!!!!! You are my eternal rival, and you shall not touch her while my spring time of youth still burns!!!!" Lee shouted, charging at Neji.

Sakura was forced to step forward in front of him forcing Lee to turn aside so he didn't hit her instead. "Lee! Neji is as of right now unable to fight. I am ashamed of you for attacking a man who cannot defend himself! That is low! And to attack my boyfriend!"

Lee was shocked, and then tears were flowing down his face. "My rival as claimed you as his own?? NO!!! I will run a thousand laps around Konoha, and if I can't do that I will do two thousand pushups so show Sakura-chan I am worthy of her! Yosh!" And with that he was off, running around Konoha with Gai trailing after him shouting encouragements. Neji slipped his arm around her again, and turned to Tenten. Before he could say anything though, she spoke.

"I have to go!" And then she sprinted off almost as fast as Lee. Sakura still saw the tears in her eyes, and sighed. She felt awful that Tenten was hurting right now. It was her fault, and there was no way around that fact.

"Sakura, my head is pounding; I'm not sure whether it is from Lee's antics or the poison. Will you heal it?" Neji had learned his lesson before, and anytime he was in pain he intended to tell her from that point on.

"Sure. Lean your head down so I can reach your temples more easily." When he complied, she allowed her chakra to slip into his head, soothing the migraine that was starting to build. "Neji, earlier, when we were umm…you know…did you notice the necklaces lighting up? Did you feel it? It was as if…they were magnets pulling up apart or something."

"Yes, I think that I will ask Hinata to look through the Hyuuga archives for me. She will not be stopped unlike me. Also I think it would be best if you asked Tsunade about it. Ahh, much better." When he opened his eyes, his headache was gone, but when he tried to take a step he wobbled and would have fallen had Sakura not caught him.

"A side effect, I believe that you are feeling exhausted right now?" She teleported them back to her room and laid him down on the bed. "Relax, a nap and you'll be as good as new. I'm going to stimulate sleep with my chakra, don't fight it." And before he could protest he found himself thrown into the land of dreams by glowing green chakra.

Just before sleep claimed him he whispered "Bye tiger."

As his eyes closed, Sakura gazed at his face, feeling almost as tired as he had. It hadn't even been twenty four hours since Neji had woken up in the hospital, so much had happened. She wasn't sure whether her life was changing for the better or worse, but it was definitely changing. With that thought Sakura settled down beside him, assuring herself it was only for a little while.

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**AUTHORS NOTE: Wow! Longest chapter yet, maybe the superbowl got my creative juices flowing! Be happy that i worked on this instead of watching :) I hope you enjoy and please review!! No lemon yet, but maybe in the chapters to come ;) Im such a tease hehe. Sorry if you find any errors, its really late and the story just flowed out. while i did read it over, dont hold me responsible for what my sleep deprived brain missed. feel free to tell me about any mistakes as well.**

**Review!!**

**Morgan**


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